The book tells the detailed history of three generations of two families initially caught up in the Mexican Revolution of 1910. Tracing their migrations to the United States and the difficulties they faced, it portrays an accurate picture of life in Mexico in the early 1900's and in the coastal area of California during the time of prohibition through the 1930's.

Lupe Gomez, a six-year-old girl when the story begins, grows up in the village of La Lluvia de Oro, or, Rain of Gold. It was a quiet Mexican village in the mountains of north-central Mexico, with beautiful forests, streams, natural beauty and many animals that roamed freely. Then, a vein of gold was discovered and the whole environment changed in less than twenty years. Within a generation, an American mining company purchased the mine and began to develop the valley into a large industrial operation.

Lupe and her family adjust and live to the best of their abilities for several years. However, the Revolution begins and as it gets closer to their village, even the Americans close the mine and leave. Lupe's father had gone to the lowlands to find work, and it is becoming more and more dangerous for the family in the lonely, almost deserted village.

When the revolutionaries finally do come and burn their houses, kill many of the men and boys, and rape the women, Lupe's mother writes to her father, Don Victor Gomez to come home immediately and take them away. When he arrives it is decided to make what money the can by processing discarded gold ore and migrate to the United States.

The family takes a train to the United States and eventually ends up in Arizona where there is work in the mines, but soon they find themselves in California working the fields with hundreds of other Mexican migrants. It is here that Lupe meets Juan Salvador Villasenor.

At the same time that Lupe's family left Mexico, Juan and his family had been forced to move from their mountain village when their crops and houses were burned and their livestock was stolen. It was a long, difficult trip, often by train and much by foot.

Arriving in Juarez, they are forced to beg for food to survive, just as many other Mexicans are doing. The hardships are unbelievable, but one by one they find passage into El Paso, and then on to California.

When Juan and Lupe meet, Juan is a successful bootlegger, and has a background of criminal activity that eventually forces him to take the name of Salvador. Lupe's family is very much opposed to drinking, gambling, and behavior they feel is unbecoming of a family man. It is not until after their marriage that Salvador finally lets Lupe know the truth about his background.